Biden clemency announcement gets mixed reviews on Capitol Hill: ‘Where’s the bar?’
President Biden’s act of clemency, the largest in a single day, has left some congressional Republicans unhappy, while a number of Democrats are hoping to see it expanded. “I’m not surprised at this point anymore,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said. “I think I’m still trying to get over the Hunter Biden thing after he promised America he wouldn’t do it.” Biden broadly pardoned his son Hunter Biden earlier this month despite promising he would not. Hunter was convicted in two separate federal cases. TIDE TURNS IN FAVOR OF TRUMP DOD PICK PETE HEGSETH AFTER MATT GAETZ FAILURE According to Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Biden had lost whatever credibility he had left when he pardoned his son. “Every president at the end of their term has that same kind of act. Where’s the bar live?” asked Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas. “Nobody knows. I haven’t gone deep into the waters to see exactly who he’s touching. But it’s the United States, hey?” The president revealed Thursday he had commuted jail sentences for nearly 1,500 people and granted 39 pardons for nonviolent offenders. “Does that tell you how corrupt he thinks this administration has been?” Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., wondered. GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL OFFER SUPPORT FOR TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL, URGE SENATORS TO DO THE SAME Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the Senate Judiciary ranking member, told Fox News Digital, “That’s a large number. “He’ll have to stand by his choices. I haven’t really looked at who they are. That’s the power of the presidency.” Outgoing Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., reacted to Biden’s clemency grants to reporters Thursday, recalling his own limited pardon use as governor. MANCHIN, SINEMA TANK SCHUMER LAME-DUCK EFFORT TO SECURE DEM MAJORITY ON TOP LABOR BOARD “I did very few, and I wanted to make sure if the community didn’t buy in” that the person would not receive a pardon. “I would make sure that my staff would go back and check in that area and do a due diligence and a deep dive,” he explained. Asked if Manchin trusted that Biden’s administration did it own due diligence on the people whose sentences were being commuted, he said, “I would like to think. I believe in the process. I believe in the system. So, I hope so.” The White House released a list Dec. 12 of those who were granted clemency. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., released a statement on Biden’s action, approving of it. “The president took an important step by commuting the sentences of these men and women. In far too many cases in our justice system, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. I have long advocated for criminal justice reform to address these inequities and commend President Biden for this act of mercy and for his leadership,” the senator said. “These individuals have successfully returned to their communities and reunited with their families. I urge the president to continue using his pardon power during his remaining time in office to address miscarriages of justice, just as the founders of this democracy intended.” MCCONNELL’S SENATE MONEY MACHINE MAKES TRANSITION TO THUNE AS NEW ERA BEGINS Other Democrats applauded the move, including Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., who told reporters, “These are nonviolent offenders, and I think they represent compassion. In no way is [this] gonna jeapardize public safety. So, I support the president, what the president did.” Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., expressed an appetite for even more similar actions from Biden, saying Thursday, “We’re still hoping he will offer clemency to the people who are on death row. We’re still looking for the next list of people.” Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., said he supported Biden using his pardon power, though he hasn’t looked through all the people affected. He explained it is “important to use that pardon power and clemency to even out our system and to evolve with our system as we move forward.”
NYC Mayor Adams meets with Trump border czar: ‘We have the same desire’ to go after illegal migrant criminals
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he and incoming border czar Tom Homan have the same desire to go after illegal immigrant criminals following a Thursday meeting between the pair. Adams met with Homan to discuss cooperation between local and federal authorities on deporting violent criminals once the Trump administration takes office on Jan. 20. “We’re not going to be a safe haven for those who commit repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants and longstanding New Yorkers,” Adams said after the meeting. “From what I heard from the incoming head of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is that we have the same desire to go after those who are committing violent acts, repeated violent acts among innocent New Yorkers and among migration asylum seekers. That’s what I heard from him. And I was pleased to hear that, because we share the same desire.” TRUMP BORDER CZAR MEETING WITH NYC MAYOR ADAMS DESPITE SANCTUARY CITY STATUS The mayor noted that the city doesn’t allow itself to be a safe haven for American citizens committing crimes, “and we’re not going to do it for those who are undocumented.” The meeting came as Homan plans to implement President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan once he takes office. Homan has warned leaders in sanctuary cities to either cooperate with immigration authorities or step aside. Earlier this week, Adams announced the closing of dozens of migrant shelters as the “sanctuary” city continues to see a drop in arrivals. In total, 25 shelters are being closed in the next few months. New York has seen more than 225,000 migrants arrive since 2022. The surge coincided with a spike at the southern border, compounded by a strategy by Texas to bus migrants to sanctuary cities to relieve pressure on the border state. Even before Thursday’s meeting between Adams and Homan, immigration activists accused the mayor of “collaborating” with the new administration. “It’s despicable that Mayor Adams continues to shirk his responsibilities to uphold New York City’s existing policies and values as a sanctuary city by collaborating with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan,” Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in a statement. ‘WE’VE TURNED THE CORNER’: BLUE CITY ANNOUNCES SHUTTERING OF MIGRANT SHELTERS AS NUMBERS DROP Adams has been deeply critical of the federal government’s handling of the migrant crisis and has taken a tougher stance on illegal immigration than many of his Democratic contemporaries, who have vowed to resist the incoming Trump administration’s plan to deport illegal migrants. Currently, there are 170 crimes that allow New York officials to communicate and collaborate with ICE after a migrant is convicted of a crime, said Adams. “We need to examine them and see what is my authority, using executive orders, to ensure that I keep New Yorkers safe. That’s my only goal. I cannot make any clearer. In pursuing that goal, my years and years of advocating for immigrants that are here and attempting to find the American dream, if that demonizes me, then I’m going to take it. But I’m going to save lives in this city,” he said. The mayor criticized those he said have attempted to cast him as switching his position on illegal immigration. “People are trying to push their own agenda. I have one agenda. I’ve never lied about the agenda,” he said. “Everybody, everyone in this city should be protected and should not be the victims of violent crimes. And that was a conversation I had with the incoming border czar. We shared that same belief, and we’re going to pursue that same belief.” Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: Turning Tides
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… –5 biggest FBI scandals during Christopher Wray’s tenure as director -Biden commutes 1,500 jail sentences, grants pardons for 39 others: ‘Largest single-day grant of clemency‘ – Rep Banks rips West Point as school apologizes for ‘error’ saying Hegseth wasn’t accepted The pick by President-elect Trump to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, seems to be on track to get enough GOP Senate support to be confirmed, despite facing a handful of allegations ranging from sexual assault, excessive drinking and fund mismanagement, all of which he has denied. One Republican senator told Fox News Digital that they weren’t aware of any GOP senators who are a “hard no” on confirming Hegseth. Hegseth “certainly” doesn’t seem to be in a position where he may feel pressured to withdraw, they added…Read more BOGUS BIDEN INFO: Informant accused of feeding FBI bogus Biden information pleads guilty to 4 counts…Read more ‘I MEAN IT’: Biden says the GOP doesn’t understand the importance of advancing women’s well-being…Read more PETE PUSH: Marine critic of Afghan withdrawal to lead rank-and-file enlistees in Senate visits promoting Hegseth…Read more GARLAND RESPONDS: Garland lauds ‘principled’ Wray for ‘integrity and skill’ after resignation announcement…Read more MAGA ENFORCERS: Trump allies turn up the heat on GOP Senate holdouts in nomination battles…Read more THUMBS UP: What Americans think about Trump’s cabinet nominees…Read more ‘A STAR’: Trump says Ric Grenell will be ‘high up’ in administration after report says ex-intel chief will be Iran envoy…Read more ‘LAND OF LAWS’: Former House candidate reveals how Trump will conquer Dem resistance with immigration mandate…Read more REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: A DOGE in the fight…Read more THUMBS UP: Fetterman still enthusiastically supportive of Stefanik for US ambassador to UN: ‘Always was a hard YES’…Read more BYE, BYE BERNIE?: Sen. Bernie Sanders says upcoming term will ‘probably’ be his last…Read more DEEPER IN DEBT: House passes nearly $1 trillion defense spending bill, adding to US debt of $36 trillion…Read more ‘BACK ON TRACK’: US oil and gas producers pressure House to pass pivotal permitting bill and get America ‘back on track’…Read more CLASSIFIED BRIEFING: House Speaker Johnson says he’s getting a classified briefing today…Read more FUNDING FIGHT: House Pentagon funding bill would ban transgender treatments for minor children of military personnel…Read more ORDER IN THE COURT: House passes bill that would give Trump more federal judges to appoint…Read more SENATE APPEAL: Conservative group debuts major ad buy in key senators’ states as ‘soft appeal’ for Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel…Read more MIGRANT CRIME: Migrant teen stabbing in lower Manhattan…Read more ‘NOT ELIGIBLE’: Scholarship programs slapped with lawsuits for alleged discrimination against White men…Read more ‘SHOULD BE DEPORTED’: Illinois governor says ‘violent’ illegal immigrants should be deported, open to meeting with Trump officials…Read more MIGRANT CLAMPDOWN: Trump border czar meeting with NYC Mayor Adams despite sanctuary city status…Read more IN AND OUT?: DC councilman a step closer to facing expulsion after law firm finds he violated code of conduct…Read more R’OIL’ SALE: Alaska outraged at federal oil lease sale setup being ‘fitting finale’ for fossil fuel-averse presidency…Read more ‘DESPICABLE’: Immigration activists fume at NYC mayor’s meeting with Trump border czar: ‘Despicable’…Read more ‘UNBEARABLE LOSS’: Venezuelan migrant released by ICE kills 7-year-old two months later…Read more ‘MALICIOUS SLANDER’: China denies new report linking CCP to four sites in Cuba allegedly used to spy on the US…Read more ‘CONFIDENTIAL’: DOJ IG reveals number of FBI confidential sources on the ground during Jan 6…Read more ‘WE MUST BE CLEAR’: Youngkin to draft sanctuary city ban, making state funding contingent on ICE cooperation…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Conservative group lists ‘woke radical leftists’ it wants fired from DOJ under Pam Bondi
A conservative research group has sent a letter to President-elect Trump’s Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi calling on her to fire a number of Department of Justice (DOJ) workers who it says are “woke radical leftists and donors” who cannot be trusted to carry out Trump’s agenda. In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) wrote to Bondi urging her to sack the individuals who currently work for the agency’s Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division, claiming that they have pushed transgender issues, worked for George Soros-linked organizations and donated to radical left-wing politicians and groups. The voting section is tasked with enforcing federal laws that protect the right to vote. “These people are woke radical leftists and donors who have no place in the Department of Justice,” the group writes in the letter signed by AAF President Thomas Jones. “In order to restore the American people’s trust in election integrity and a neutral civil service, they must be fired and replaced with America-first attorneys who will execute on the agenda the American People voted for in November.” CONSERVATIVE GROUP COMPILES LIST OF ‘WOKE’ SENIOR OFFICERS THEY WANT PETE HEGSETH TO FIRE The letter, which rails against the “deep state” terrorizing the country and “threatening democracy itself,” was also addressed to Harmett Dhillon, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Bondi is the former Florida Attorney General. The letter zeroes DOJ employees —Janie Sitton, Catherine Meza, Daniel Freeman, John “Bert” Russ IV and Dana Paikowsky — and attempts to make a case as to why they are unfit to work at the agency. AAF also promises to share more information on “problematic staff” in the future. Sitton, the group says, is being singled out for her promotion of the transgender agenda and donating to leftist politicians. In 2000, while working for the DOJ, Sitton authored an article that called for the adoption of a new legal system deemed “transgender jurisprudence” and stated the need to “rethink” the basic known “assumptions and constructs upon which our society and laws are based.” Sitton even took issue with common traditions such as identifying a newborn infant as a boy or girl based on the child’s sex, arguing that society has been wrong to assume or assign a gender to infants, the AAF says. Paikowsky, the group says, has worked for years pushing far-left political agendas, including pushing for prisoners to vote, and has deep ties with Soros-linked organizations. WHO IS PAM BONDI, TRUMP’S NEW PICK FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL? In addition to donating to liberal politicians, Paikowsky’s LinkedIn shows that she worked as a policy associate for the Open Society Foundations, an organization founded to the billionaire financier. Shortly after graduating from Harvard Law School, Paikowsky then went to work for the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) as a fellow for the Equal Justice Works program while also working as a legal intern for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. The CLC has received significant funding from Soros in recent years, according to the AAF. A 2019 law review article she wrote for the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review suggested an extensive framework to turn “jails into polling places” and described numerous examples of local elections across the nation, including local district attorney races, where a small number of inmate voters could have changed the election results, according to the AAF. The group also slams Meza, who is an attorney at the voting division, for supporting gun control while she was chief counsel for the NAACP and claiming that she had accused people of not wearing masks or observing proper social distancing rules as forms of voter intimidation in 2020. Russ made the list for being an attorney for the DOJ who had filed a 2021 complaint against Georgia’s election integrity initiatives. The complaint accused the state of having racist intentions by prohibiting unsolicited absentee ballots from being mailed to voters, requiring voter identification and prohibiting the potential bribing of voters with food and drinks at polling places. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ’s Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Fox News Digital also asked the agency whether each of those named in the letter would like to respond. It’s not the first time the AAF has sought to influence the makeup of the federal government under Trump. Last week, the group compiled a list of “woke” senior officers they want Pete Hegseth to sack, should he be confirmed to lead the Pentagon. READ THE LETTER BELOW. APP USERS CLICK HERE.
Conservative group debuts major ad buy in key senators’ states as ‘soft appeal’ for Hegseth, Gabbard, Patel
A top conservative grassroots group is launching a six-figure ad campaign to support the swift confirmation of President-elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees. The $150,000 static digital ad campaign will target nine states with a “soft appeal” to voters who might, in turn, contact their senators and express how Trump “has a mandate from the American people,” Heritage Action for America Vice President Ryan Walker said Thursday. Walker said the $150,000 is the first tranche of $1 million the group has allocated through Inauguration Day to push for Americans to ask their senators to support the nominees. The first ad of the campaign sought to bolster Defense Secretary-nominee Pete Hegseth, and the overall initial ad buy will last through Dec. 31. CONSERVATIVE GROUP REGISTERS 50K VOTERS IN SWING STATES Other ads have or will highlight former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Kash Patel and former Florida Attorney General Pamela Bondi – all of whom are Trump Cabinet nominees. This initial buy, Walker said, focuses on Alaska, Maine, Louisiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Utah, South Dakota and Washington, D.C. While most similar advertising campaigns may seek to appeal to voters in “swing states” or in a particular region of the country, the states included here have a unique link, Walker said. Some of the states included in the first ad buy are home to senators who either appear on the fence or have not stated a solid commitment for or against nominees like Hegseth, Gabbard and Patel. Alaska and Maine are represented by two high-profile moderate Republicans – Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, respectively. PROJECT 2025 REMAINS NONPARTISAN, TRUE TO 1980S GOOD-GOV’T INCEPTION DESPITE WILD OUTCRY: KEY FIGURES Both women voted to impeach Trump, but both also were supportive of some of the president-elect’s policies as well. “[Trump has] really about 18 months to get a substantial amount of his agenda through before the midterms. And time is of the essence in getting these folks, these Cabinet nominees, in a timely manner,” Walker said. “Uniting the Republican conference around them is what we’re trying to accomplish here.” Walker said Heritage Action is focusing on public commentary from senators in the target states, and also is very much in tune with which nominees are in the news or spending time on Capitol Hill on certain days. Last week and this week, Hegseth made the rounds seeking support for his confirmation, so the campaign began with the former Fox News host, Walker suggested. Next week, Health and Human Services Secretary-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to visit Washington for the same purpose, and the advertising campaign is ready to pivot to focus on the Democratic Party scion if necessary. “We want to remain flexible in this campaign to be able to highlight in different states… or different nominees, depending on what the conversation is in the Senate,” Walker said, adding a direct-text-message campaign will also follow this initial advertising endeavor. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Then we’re likely to do a television ad,” he said, adding he hopes to air it on national media on Inauguration Day. Heritage Action also employs grassroots activists nationwide to forward conservative principles at the state-government level.
Biden says the GOP doesn’t understand the importance of advancing women’s well-being: ‘I mean it’
President Biden slammed Republicans for not understanding how advancing women’s health not only improves the lives of women but also the prosperity of the entire nation. He made the remark during a first-of-its-kind conference on women’s health research at the White House Wednesday afternoon. “The fact is, the health of our moms, and grandmothers, sisters and daughters, friends and colleagues, affects not just women’s well-being but the prosperity of the entire nation,” Biden said at the conference. “That’s a fact – we haven’t gotten that through to the other team yet. I mean it – across the board.” Republicans, meanwhile, questioned whether Democrats understand the need to protect women, citing, in particular, Biden administration policies that sought to allow transgender women to use biological women’s spaces and play on women’s sports teams. WOMEN ARE ‘LOSING RIGHTS’ BECAUSE OF KAMALA HARRIS AND JOE BIDEN, SAYS POLITICAL ADVISER MICHELE TAFOYA “Is any Democrat willing to stand up and defend girls and protect girls in private, in their private spaces, and protect girls in sports – not to force girls to participate in sports against men?” asked Tiffany Justice, the co-founder of the conservative nonprofit Moms for Liberty. “The idea that Democrats protect women or respect women is just absolutely nonsense.” Justice pointed to Biden’s appointment of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, “who was unwilling to define what a woman was” when pressed on the matter during her confirmation hearings. The Heritage Foundation’s Sarah Perry, a civil rights attorney who has extensive experience litigating Title IX issues, noted that Biden’s remarks had an underlying tone of “abortion is health care,” which was a hot-button issue for Republicans during this year’s election. BIDEN LEGACY INCLUDES RELENTLESS PUSH FOR TRANSGENDER AGENDA “This is an administration that has made a name for itself in advancing the most radical ideologue policies,” Perry said. “I mean, he’s got a man in a dress at HHS telling us what health care is. That is the specious nature of those kinds of representations.” Colin Reed, a GOP strategist, added that the electoral success seen last month by Republicans was an indication that the American people reject these sorts of arguments from Democrats. “The Democratic Party has become a one-trick pony trying to speak to voters facing across-the-board challenges,” he said. “Until Democrats start meeting voters where they are at, they will continue losing elections.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman, noted that Trump campaigned on “making ALL Americans” healthy again, including women, adding that Trump “will deliver on that promise.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response.
Youngkin to draft sanctuary city ban, making state funding contingent on ICE cooperation
EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will introduce a budget proposal banning “sanctuary cities” in his state, along with ensuring tax money will not go to counties or independent cities that aren’t complying with ICE. The proposal will require local police and corrections officers to fulfill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests for criminal illegal immigrants and notify the federal government within two days of releasing any such person who matriculates through the justice system. Additionally, any municipality that identifies as a sanctuary city or enacts similar policies will have state funding typically allocated toward supporting their police departments withheld by Richmond. The Department of Criminal Justice Services, currently led by Youngkin appointee and former Prince William County Officer Jackson Miller, will be advised to withhold what is called “599 Funding” in that regard. YOUNGKIN ‘PERSONALLY INVITES’ NEW TRUMP ADMIN TO RELOCATE TO VIRGINIA OVER DC “Criminals who are in the United States illegally will be turned over to ICE,” Youngkin told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “We must stop the cycle of violence and crime that is being enabled by some local governments. Virginia is not a sanctuary state, and we must be clear that we will not allow localities to become ‘sanctuary cities.’” The Republican governor, who is term-limited next year under Virginia’s one-and-done policy, said that if local governments “pander to pro-illegal immigrant groups” they’ll see the state-taxpayer assistance spigot turned off. The news comes amid recent violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in Virginia, most recently the sexual assault of a jogger on a popular Herndon rail-trail. Shortly before Thanksgiving, Honduran national Denis Humberto Navarette-Romero was charged with intent to defile and rape a woman on the Old Dominion Trail. The Washington, D.C., suburb’s police chief said it was the first stranger-rape case in her 12 years on the job. YOUNGKIN: EDUCATION IS THE ‘BEDROCK OF THE AMERICAN DREAM’ Critics pointed to Fairfax County’s sanctuary-type policies as Navarette-Romero had been previously arrested for auto theft and indecent exposure. In 2018, Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid notified ICE her office will no longer hold inmates past release dates unless an administrative request to hold the suspects is accompanied by a legal criminal detainer. Kincaid told WJLA earlier this year her department requires such a warrant, after ICE officials criticized a lack of cooperation with Virginia’s largest county by-population. Only three of 725 “undocumented individuals” in Fairfax custody between July 2023 and July 2024 were transferred to ICE, the outlet reported. Also in November, Arlington County’s board voted 4-1 in favor of a policy stipulating police may only notify ICE in cases involving gang members and very serious crimes, according to ArlNow. The vote came as activists chanted “ICE Out Of Arlington!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Alexandria, an independent city, initiated a policy in 2007 stating it would not inquire about citizenship “beyond what is required by state and federal law.” In 2017, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney responded to President Trump’s immigration policies by ordering the city’s police department not to consent to participate in ICE collaboration agreements and not to inquire about citizenship status “in the interest of public safety.” Virginia officials have said the state Department of Corrections has always and continues to recognize ICE detainers during Youngkin’s tenure. Incoming Trump “Border Czar” Thomas Homan has repeatedly pledged a “mass deportation” initiative and similarly warned sanctuary cities he will use the might of the federal government to enforce compliance with the law.
Reporter’s Notebook: A DOGE in the fight
Every Member of Congress will have a DOGE in the fight. As in DOGE, the incipient but still unofficial “Department of Government Efficiency.” Congress hasn’t voted to create such a department. There’s been no presidential executive order. But quasi-President Trump-elect advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are spearheading the enterprise. “It’s unclear to me what exactly the objective is related to this so-called DOGE initiative,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Incoming President Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy say the goal is to cut spending. Perhaps by as much as $2 trillion in the next two and a half years. Slates of congressional Republicans met with Musk and Ramaswamy on Capitol Hill late last week. The message? ‘Tis the season to be frugal. “Elon and Vivek talked about having a naughty list and a nice list for members of Congress and senators and how we vote and how we’re spending the American people’s money,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. TIDE TURNS IN FAVOR OF TRUMP DOD PICK PETE HEGSETH AFTER MATT GAETZ FAILURE Republican expectations for DOGE are stratospheric. “We need to start cutting our budget and cutting it soon,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. “Every single Republican wants to get about the business of cutting fraud, waste and abuse,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “We can’t just continue to do everything for everyone,” said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. But Republican political aspirations for DOGE and spending cuts could soon slam into legislative reality. “It’s going to require not only statutory authority to do it, which means it’ll have to go to the committees of jurisdiction. But then it has to go to where everything gets funded,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. “And how we can get enough votes to actually put it into force.” Cuts don’t just happen magically in Congress. There’s no magic wand. Implementation of everything requires votes on the floor. And Republicans barely control the House. “It’s clear that the incoming House Republican majority will not be able to do much without us,” said Jeffries. House Republicans begin the new Congress in January with a 219-215 advantage over the Democrats. But that slips to a margin of one vote in late January after Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., leaves to become National Security Adviser. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., will depart after the Senate confirms her for United Nations Ambassador. So Republicans have no votes to spare to do things on their own. Plus, many Democrats aren’t enamored with Elon Musk. “Elon Musk has largely proved himself to be an efficient liar and self-serving plutocrat. And so I don’t have high hopes for him having anything other than pretty awful ideas,” said Rep. Greg Casar, D-Tex., the incoming chairman of the House Progressive Caucus. Musk and Ramaswamy are political icons. But this is not the first ambitious effort to slice substantial federal spending. Some “blue ribbon” commissions lacked the star power wattage of the dynamic duo of Musk and Ramaswamy. One of the most ballyhooed – and successful – efforts to pare the federal government came in 1993. President Clinton and Vice President Gore promised they were “reinventing government” and planned to change things in Washington. Their initiative wasn’t focused so much on debt reduction – but reducing the size and scope of federal influence. “At the end of six months, we will have real results and real proposals to offer,” said Gore in March, 1993. “Write it down. Check back with us. We’ll be checking back with you. We don’t need another report to put on the shelf to collect dust. We do need a real plan for action.” In the end, the Clinton-Gore approach sliced more than 400,000 federal jobs and shrank the size of 13 of 14 federal departments. But over time, those jobs crept back up to where they are today. The federal government currently employs about three million workers. In 2010, late Sen. and Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and late Clinton Budget Director Alice Rivlin assembled a budget plan known as “Domenici-Rivlin” in the Washington vernacular. The package was designed to help the U.S. recover from the 2008 recession and curb the debt. They tried to address exploding health care costs. Lawmakers adopted a few components of their recommendations over the years, but the impact was minimal. In 2011, the U.S. faced a debt ceiling crisis. Congress created a “supercommittee” comprised of bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers to concoct a plan to reduce spending – or force a set of Draconian, mandatory cuts known as “sequestration.” It would chop about $1 trillion in federal spending each year. Well, the committee failed to forge an agreement. Thus, the panel became “the committee, formerly known as super.” The automatic sequestration spending cuts then set in. President Obama signed an executive order to establish the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Former Senate Majority Whip Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles co-chaired the commission. Its proposals were known simply as “Simpson-Bowles.” The panel recommended a host of cuts, including a reduction in military spending and tax hikes – plus a levy on gasoline. Congress later adopted a few individual recommendations from Simpson-Bowles. The House even soundly defeated a budget modeled on Simpson-Bowles in 2012. But what about cutting actual spending? Expect some lawmakers to attempt to dodge the DOGE. Denting the debt could mean trimming popular programs. On Meet the Press, NBC’s Kristen Welker asked President-elect Trump about his plans for the most expensive government programs: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. “We’re not touching Social other than we make it more efficient. But the people are going to get what they’re getting,” said the next president. “So the entitlement’s off the table?” asked Welker. “And we’re not raising ages or any of that,” replied Mr. Trump. “Off the table?” followed up Welker. “I won’t do it,” said the President-elect. THE SPEAKER’S LOBBY: THERMONUCLEAR FRACAS Entitlements consume more than 60% of all federal spending. And
Tide turns in favor of Trump DOD pick Pete Hegseth after Matt Gaetz failure
The pick by President-elect Trump to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, seems to be on track to get enough GOP Senate support to be confirmed, despite facing a handful of allegations ranging from sexual assault, excessive drinking and fund mismanagement, all of which he has denied. One Republican senator told Fox News Digital that they weren’t aware of any GOP senators who are a “hard no” on confirming Hegseth. Hegseth “certainly” doesn’t seem to be in a position where he may feel pressured to withdraw, they added. GOP ATTORNEYS GENERAL OFFER SUPPORT FOR TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL, URGE SENATORS TO DO THE SAME This is much different than the landscape for former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s previous selection to be attorney general, who faced several definitive “no” votes from senators. Contending with the significant lack of support espoused most candidly behind closed doors, Gaetz withdrew from the process just days after being selected. Republicans will have a 53-47 majority in the next Senate, and there is only room for Trump nominees to lose a few GOP votes, assuming no Democrats choose to back them. MANCHIN, SINEMA TANK SCHUMER LAME-DUCK EFFORT TO SECURE DEM MAJORITY ON TOP LABOR BOARD However, as the Republican senator conveyed, Hegseth doesn’t appear to have lost any Republicans in the upper chamber at this point, including more moderate lawmakers such as Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. Hegseth met with both of them this week on Capitol Hill. According to Collins, “I had a good substantive discussion that lasted more than an hour.” “We covered a wide range of topics ranging from defense procurement reforms to the role of women in the military, sexual assault in the military. Ukraine, NATO, a wide range of issues. I obviously always wait until we have an FBI background check and one is underway in the case of Mr. Hegseth, and I wait to see the committee hearing before reaching a final decision.” MCCONNELL’S SENATE MONEY MACHINE MAKES TRANSITION TO THUNE AS NEW ERA BEGINS Murkowski refused to discuss her meeting with Hegseth, a former Fox News host, when asked by reporters. Trump’s defense secretary choice has also met twice with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. After their first meeting earlier this month, Ernst admitted on Fox News that she wasn’t sold on Hegseth yet. But after their second meeting this week, she released a statement, saying, “As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” ‘EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED’: TRUMP TRANSITION ROLLS OUT VIDEO HYPING HEGSETH AMID CAPITOL HILL MEETINGS Ernst is notably the first female combat veteran ever elected to the Senate and also sits on the Armed Services Committee. She is additionally a survivor of sexual assault herself, which Hegseth has been accused of but denied. The changing tide, seemingly in favor of Hegseth’s confirmation, was articulated by Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to reporters. “You can feel the difference this week versus last week,” he said. “Kash [Patel] is not going to have an issue. Tulsi [Gabbard] is not going to have issue. People are going to ask the questions they should, but they’re going to get confirmed,” he added of other somewhat controversial Trump picks.
DOJ IG reveals number of FBI confidential sources on the ground during Jan 6
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said there were more than two dozen confidential human sources in the crowd on Jan. 6, but only three were assigned by the FBI to be present for the event, while stressing that none of the sources were authorized or directed by the bureau to “break the law” or “encourage others to commit illegal acts,” Fox News has learned. Horowitz on Thursday released his highly anticipated report on the FBI’s Handling of its Confidential Human Sources and Intelligence Collection Efforts in the Lead Up to the Jan. 6, 2021 Electoral Certification. DOJ INSPECTOR GENERAL DOES NOT DENY FBI INFORMANTS WERE AMONG JAN 6 CROWD “Today’s report also details our findings regarding FBI CHSs who were in Washington, D.C., on January 6,” the report states. “Our review determined that none of these FBI CHSs was authorized by the FBI to enter the Capitol or a restricted area or to otherwise break the law on January 6, nor was any CHS directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6.” The report revealed that the FBI had a minor supporting role in responding on Jan. 6, 2021—largely because the event was not deemed at the highest security level by the Department of Homeland Security. Horowitz, though, said the FBI took significant and appropriate steps to prepare for that role. According to the report, there were a total of 26 confidential human sources in the crowd that day, but only three of them were assigned by the bureau to be there. One of the three confidential human sources tasked by the FBI to attend the rally entered the Capitol building, while the other two entered the restricted area around the Capitol. If a confidential human source is directed to be at a certain event, they are paid by the FBI for their time. SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF JAN. 6 CAPITOL RIOT PARTICIPANT WHO CHALLENGED OBSTRUCTION CONVICTION Horowitz stressed that no sources were encouraged or authorized by the FBI to enter the Capitol or any restricted area and stressed that they were not encouraged or authorized to commit any illegal acts. Twenty-three of the confidential human sources present on Jan. 6 came to Washington, D.C., to the Capitol on their own. Of that group, three entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 11 sources entered the restricted area around the Capitol. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.